[ Memorandum Circular No. 95, January 10, 1967 ]
PROMULGATING RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE 1967 MUSLIM PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA.
(1) The final clearance of pilgrim vessel shall be in Manila.
(2) Only one pilgrim boat shall be allowed. Addition pilgrim boats may be allowed upon proof satisfactory to the Commission that there are enough passengers for them.
(3) Any excess of the capacity of one boat shll be booked by air transportation in case there is no other boat or the intending pilgrims desire to take air transporation instead.
(4) The pilgrim vessel to be officially approved shall be determined in a competitive bidding to be conducted by the Commission on National Integration for the purpose of determining the one that can provide the best facilities to the passengers with international safety and health regulations with the lowest cost in order to give every opportunity to the average Muslim to undertake the pilgrimage.
(5) Only the vessel so approved shall be allowed to make the pilgrimage voyage.
(6) The owner of the pilgrim vessel chosen shall appoint a bona fide shipping agent in the Philippines as s resident agent for purposes of suability in Philippine courts in case a pilgrim boat should abandon the pilgrims;
(7) For the guidance of the Commission, all offers, proposals and/or bids must be accompanied with the following documents and/or data:
(a) The name, ownership, registry gross tonnage, date of build, maximum passenger capacity and speed of the red vessel.
(b) A 5? x 7? photograph of the offered vessel together with its General Arrangement Plan showing the vessel’s principal particular’s such as length, breadth, depth, draft, tonnage, and other specification
(c) Certificate of seaworthiness issued by the American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyds Register of Shipping, Bureau Verias or other internationally recognized classification societies. Said certificate must show that the vessel is seaworthy for the ocean voyage covered by the pilgrimage and must be valid and outstanding for the entire round voyage.
(d) Safety equipment certificate issued by the proper authorities testing to the presence on board of 3ll safety equipment in accordance with the standards and requirements of the International Conference for Safety of Life at Sea, I960.
(e) Charter contracts, or certificate or other evidence of ownership if the bidder is the register owner of the offered, vessel.
(f) Certification by competent and recognized surveyors regarding the presence on board of all facilities and equipment specified by the International Sanitary Regulations adopted by the World Health Organization and as implemented by Quarantine Administrative Order No. 20 dated June 13, 1953, of the Philippine Bureau of Quarantine.
(g) The vessel shall be subject to inspection by the corresponding Bureau of Quarantine and Bureau of Customs upon arrival in Manila before sailing for Jeddah.1âшphi1
(8) The age requirement for pilgrims is fourteen (14) years and above, provided that he/she is physically fit to undergo the trip as certified by doctors of the Department of Health. Pregnant women will not be allowed to join the trip. Each pilgrim shall be allowed to carry a maximum f fifty (50) kilos.
(9) Only Filipino citizens and/or Filipino-owned or controlled corporation shall be qualified to submit bids for the transportation of the pilgrims. All other considerations being equal, preference in the award shall be given to the bidder offering to use a vessel of the Philippine registry. Provided, That where a vessel of foreign registry is given the award, it must engage a bona fide local shipping agent who must act as its local representative.
(10) The bid oust specify the amount of the fare to b charged each pilgrim, said fare to include all charge and r s which the pilgrim may be required to pay in order to make aid complete the pilgrimage, including mutawif fees charged by the Saudi Arabian government.
(11) The winning bidder, if a charterer of the offeredvessel, shall be required to open a letter of credit with the Philippine National Bank or any other local bank, for an amount equivalent to thirty per cent (30%) of the full charter hire subject to the condition that the shipowner shall not draw on or negotiate the said letter of credit until after the vessel shall have passed inspection and been approved for the pilgrimage by the Commission on National Integration: Provided, That before the vessel is cleared to leave, the charterer must satisfy the Commission that the amount of the charter hire has been paid.
(12) The winning bidder shall be required to post a performance bond of TWO HUNDRED THOUSAUD PESOS (P200,000.00) in favor of the Commission on National Integration from any surety or bonding company acceptable to the Commission, guarantee compliance with his obligation to transport the pilgrims to Jeddah and their return to the Philippines without unnecessary delay.
(13) In the computation of the fare, it should be taken into consideration that the pilgrim vessel will pick the pilgrims in Zamboanga City and Iligan and will immediately proceed to Manila for final clearance to Jeddah.
(14) In case the winning bidder is a mere charterer of a foreign vessel, the charterer must be able to show evidence that all accounts with the shipowners have; been fully paid before the vessel is allowed to leave port in Manila.
(15) The Commission on National Integration reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to accept such bid or bids as may be considered most advantageous to the interests, safety and health of the pilgrims as determined by said Commission.
